


Glory or Compassion

by ericsonclan



Series: Cherry Blossoms and Muted Voices [20]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Decisions, F/F, Gen, Injury Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:20:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26360296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: Sophie and Minnie continue to watch over their guests when questions and thoughts are thrown around.
Relationships: Minerva & Sophie (Walking Dead: Done Running), Prisha/Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running), Renata & Sophie (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: Cherry Blossoms and Muted Voices [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1863499
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	Glory or Compassion

**Author's Note:**

> (by Linnea)

A couple days had passed since Sophie and Minnie arrived back at the orphanage. Since then the twins had come to the consensus that the four guests could stay but that they would be cautious about it. Every day Sophie and Minnie would spend their time watching the two injured girls. Sophie had decided to take watch over Prisha while Minnie was determined to always keep an eye on Violet. A suggestion came up at dinner time to have the samurai and the ex-yakuza put in the same room but nothing came from it. This caused some arguments to break out with the cop, but the yakuza twins wouldn’t budge. The two that were injured would stay in separate rooms. Violet had only just gotten to the point where she could sit up for a short time so moving for her would be near impossible anyway. So Prisha and Violet rested in hopes that one day they would be strong enough to see each other. 

Sophie took out her knife from its sheath, spinning it around in her hands. Her eyes focused on Prisha who lay on the bed asleep. It was the third day that she had decided to be on watch. Since she started she’d only talk to Prisha once. The samurai wasn’t the most talkative person; Sophie couldn’t blame her. The only time outside of this that she and her sister had interacted with this group had been in battle. They’d been assigned to chase this group in hopes that they would grab the traitor to the yakuza and the politician’s son and receive the bounty on them. Both sides had received scars from the other side. 

Sophie’s hand absentmindedly reached down to her side, tracing the scar that Prisha had given her. She knew it was overkill to guard the two injured members like this, but Sophie couldn’t help it. Even if they were good people that didn’t mean that they were saints. The orphanage had kids who deserved happy peaceful lives and the people that Sophie loved most. She wouldn’t risk it. Suddenly Sophie felt the hairs stand up on her arms. She jumped up from her chair, knocking it over and held out her blade. The door creaked open revealing Renata. She had a bright smile on her face until she saw Sophie’s knife. 

“Really, Soph?” Renata moved past the redhead and placed the bandages and ointments on the side table. “Why do you need the knife? You think the samurai is gonna jump up and attack me?” Renata said in a teasing voice before noticing Sophie’s tense expression. “They’re good people, Soph. The time that I’ve spent with her,” she motioned towards Prisha, “has been as pleasant as it can be. Same with the other girl. All they are is scared. I’m sure you would be too if you were in their situation.”  
Sophie thought about what her best friend was saying as she lifted up the chair and sat back down in it. 

The yakuza remained silent as she watched Renata work. “Doesn’t mean I’m going to drop my guard. You don’t know what these kinds of people are capable of.” Sophie’s eyes didn’t move from Prisha as Renata turned to look back at her. 

“Well, it seems like they were on the wrong side of those ‘kinds of people’, not the other way around,” Renata pulled back Prisha’s kimono, revealing her missing arm to deal with the cuts on the stub. “I know that she tried to attack you and Min when you entered the orphanage but I really think she was just trying to protect the other girl.”

Sophie didn’t respond to Renata’s statement. She knew she was right. The look in Prisha’s eyes when she tried to defend the yakuza even in her state - the fear and worry in them - it had stuck with Sophie. Slowly Sophie sheathed her blade and stood up beside Renata. Her eyes traveled over to Prisha’s missing arm. It had shocked her to find out the truth a few days ago behind Prisha’s special fighting style. To think that a one-armed samurai really existed. 

“I know,” Renata looked over at the sound of Sophie’s voice. “Of the method of torture used on the two of them.” Sophie held out her hand, offering to help. Renata’s smile brightened at the gesture. Sophie gently placed the ointment on the jagged cut along Prisha’s side. 

“You do?” Renata’s fingers traced the ointment on Prisha’s hand which was littered with various cuts and bruises. 

Sophie nodded solemnly. “I participated in it once, convinced myself to do it to get the information needed to get a promotion. It was so I could help the orphanage. But in the end all it resulted in was a dead end and regret,” Sophie’s voice faltered. The nightmares still replayed in her mind to this day. The feeling of blood on her hands, the pleading, the crying. To think that those two had been through that kind of torture or worse... Sophie couldn’t help but feel sympathy. 

“Soph,” Renata looked over at her friend and was about to respond to this new information. One she could tell Sophie had never told anyone else about this, not even Minnie when all of a sudden Prisha shifted in her sleep, causing the other two to freeze in their work. 

The samurai was seemingly in the middle of a nightmare; her eyes moved rapidly behind her closed lids. “Violet.. Please… Don’t!” Prisha shot up, outstretching her hand before wincing and gasping in pain. When she noticed Renata and Sophie standing there she recoiled. Her eyes studied Sophie cautiously. 

“It’s okay, we’re just here to help,” Renata held up the gauze. “We’re changing the bandages.”

“You may be, but she’s keeping watch.” Prisha held her side, hissing from the pain shooting through her hand and abdomen. “Isn’t that right?” Her eyes locked with Sophie, challenging her to say otherwise. 

“That’s right,” Sophie’s gaze didn’t falter.

“Sophie!” Renata looked at her with disapproval.

“What Ren. It’s the truth.” Sophie looked over at her friend and caught the look in her eyes. Sophie paused for a moment studying Renata’s face before letting out a sigh. It seemed like the only way the samurai would accept Renata’s help would be if she didn’t see Sophie as a threat. Carefully Sophie extracted the two knives from her inner pocket and held it up for the samurai to see. Then in one swift movement she threw them aside. The twin knives ricocheted off the wall and clattered to the floor. “Happy?” Sophie glanced over at Prisha who seemed unconvinced.

“Don’t need a blade to fend me off in my state.” Prisha muttered, looking away.

“That’s true,” Sophie sat back in her chair for a minute. “Now can you just let Ren finish your bandages?”

Prisha reluctantly agreed, her eyes never straying from Sophie. After a few minutes all of her wounds had been tended to.

“There you go! Good as new! Or will be soon enough.” Renata flashed a smile in Prisha’s direction. The samurai's face softened, a small smile appearing on her lips when she glanced towards Renata. “Thank you. I greatly appreciate your help.”

Renata waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. Now I’m going to head over to your friend.” Renata jumped up from her spot. Sophie soon followed suit. 

“Yakuza,”

Sophie looked back at Prisha.

“Why not simply take the people with bounties on their heads to your clan?” 

Renata was about to speak up to defend Sophie. Tell the samurai that Sophie wasn’t the type of person to pull a scummy move like that when her friend spoke.

“I’ve thought about it,” 

Renata’s eyes widened in shock at Sophie’s words. 

“So why not do it? That’s why you’ve been chasing us,” Prisha glared up at Sophie. “It would be easy.”

“It would be. The traitor is still barely holding on and as for the politician’s son-”

“Louis,” Sophie looked over at Renata and saw the well of emotions held with her eyes. “His name is Louis.”

“As for Louis, he’s always been an easy target.”

“Yet you hesitate.” The samurai’s eyes held a level of curiosity to them. “You haven’t shown any sign of following through on a plan like that.”

Sophie turned around and opened up the door. “We may be yakuza, but that doesn’t mean we’re heartless. Let’s go, Renata.”

The two exited the room, leaving Prisha with information that would circling in her mind until she was able to talk to Sophie again. Her eyes fell up the two blades on the floor. Why had she tossed them aside?

\----

Clementine was wandering around the orphanage, looking for some medical supplies that Ms. Martin had asked her to retrieve when she stumbled up Minnie who was busy applying some ointment to a wound on her abdomen. Her upper back was covered in a beautiful tattoo similar to Violet’s. But Minnie’s told a different tale. There displayed on her back was a waterfall that reached up to the nape of her neck. Within the waterfall was a single black and white koi that was struggling to climb the intense waters in front of it. 

It only took a moment for Minnie to realize someone was watching her. She spun around on her heel and got into a defensive stance. The fear of getting caught was prominent in her eyes before the emotions within them changed when they saw Clementine. “Oh, it’s you. The cop.” Minnie looked at her with a fairly neutral gaze except for the hint of distrust in her eyes. 

“I was just getting supplies for Ms. Martin,” Clementine motioned towards the cabinet behind the redhead. Minnie glanced back before moving out of the way. There was a tense silence that suffocated the room around them as Clementine walked forward. 

The silence was only cut down when Minnie spoke up. “So the traitor and samurai were captured by her clan,” 

Clementine looked over at Minnie, wondering how much she should talk with her. Clementine figured it would be best to be honest rather than hide things and distance themselves further from the only help they had. Besides, she had noticed the way the twins acted around the kids and people of the orphanage. How deeply their love for these people ran. The kindness in their eyes and actions. “That’s right.” Clementine stated in a matter-of-fact tone. 

Minnie nodded at her answer, looking absentmindedly at the backyard. Her eyes watched Sophie as she played a game of tag with Willy and AJ. “Never seen anything like what your friend went through. Must’ve done something pretty disgraceful to get tortured like that,” 

Clementine’s eyes hardened at Minnie’s statement, her grip tightening on the box of supplies causing her knuckles to turn white. “All she did was the right thing.” 

Minnie looked over, confused by the cop’s bold statement. “Is that so?” Minnie leaned against the wall, examining Clementine’s face closely. 

“It is. She did the right thing even...” Clementine took a shaky breath, “Even though it cost her greatly.”

Minnie remained unfazed by the statement. “Maybe too greatly.” 

Clementine’s eyes shot up as she strode forward, stopping in front of the yakuza. “How can you fucking say that after you’ve seen the hell she’s been through?”

“I’m saying it because of what she’s been through,” Minnie snapped back, kicking herself off the wall. “She went through hell and for what? That politician’s kid, a cop and a samurai, all whom she’s only known for a few months?”

“What do you do - just dance on the Eichi Clan’s strings and go according to their will?” The detective spat back, the anger clear on her face.

Minnie’s eyes darkened at those words. Her hands balled up into fists, but Clementine didn’t stop there.

“If you were in her position and any of the people you cared about were in danger, would you do anything differently? If it was any of the orphans, Ms. Martin, Renata?”

“Stop,” Minnie warned, a threatening tone to her voice.

“What if it was your sister?”

Clementine felt Minnie’s hand curl around her collar of nagagi as she slammed Clementine into the wall. “Of course I wouldn’t do anything differently! But I wouldn’t be stuck in that position to begin with! I’d never _ever_ risk my loved ones for the ‘right’ thing. The best thing you can do as a yakuza is shut up, follow orders and mind your fucking business!” Minnie’s eyes burned into Clementine’s before she released her grip. 

“My friend was doing both,” Clementine declared, her breath still a bit shaky, “And it looks like you’re trying to do the same.” 

Minnie quirked her eyebrow in confusion at the sincerity of the cop’s words. 

“You could’ve taken my friends and ran, turning them in to your clan, but instead you choose to help us. You say you just follow orders, but your actions say otherwise.”

Minnie didn’t answer. Instead she turned sharply and left the room, unsure why the cop had said that.

\----

Sophie leaned against a tree in the backyard of the orphanage with a look of boredom on her face which quickly disappeared when Minnie walked over to stand by her side. 

“Everything go okay today?” Minnie looked over at her twin who was busy looking at the orphanage. 

“Yes and no. I’ve just got a lot on my mind. You?” Sophie looked over at Minnie who groaned as she placed her head against the tree.

“I got into a fight with the cop,” 

Sophie’s eyes widened at Minnie’s statement. “You can’t _ever_ get into fights with cops even if they are rogue ones! Especially if they’re rogue ones! You know the kind of shit we’d get in?” Sophie’s tone was serious as she studied her twin’s face.

“I know, it’s just she was ticking me off. Her words kept rubbing me the wrong way.” Minnie mumbled. Her eyes studied the ground.

“What did she say?”

“That the traitor was doing the right thing while also protecting those she cared about. It was a bold statement to make already, but then...” Minnie paused, readjusting her position on the tree. “She told me that I was doing the same.”

Sophie’s expression changed to confusion as she tilted her head. “How so?”

“Because we didn't turn them in when we had the chance and instead we’re helping them.”

Sophie gave a half-hearted laugh. “Funny, the samurai asked me a similar thing.”

“And what did you say?”

“That we’re yakuza but we aren’t heartless. It’s not in our nature to do something that would benefit us if it was despicable and if it caused anyone that we care about any pain.” Sophie’s words made Minnie get lost in her thoughts. The twins stood in silence for a few minutes before one of them spoke. 

“Renata said they’re just scared,” Sophie’s voice was quiet. “Just doing what anyone would do in their situation, what we would do. We’d want someone to be kind to us, wouldn’t we?”

“Yeah.”

“I think we should allow the two injured members to stay in the same room. It wouldn’t really change anything for us, but I think it would help ease their minds. Besides, it would be a nice thing to do.”

Minnie studied her sister’s face. She gave a small chuckle. “You always were the nicer one.” Minnie walked forward towards the door. Sophie ran up to walk beside her.

“Hey, I think deep down you’re just as much of a softie as I am,” Sophie playful nudged her twin. 

“Maybe. We should let the others know our decision.”

\----

The next day Clementine and Renata helped Prisha move over to the room that Violet was staying in. When they had started the move Violet was asleep, giving her some peace from the pain. Carefully the two of them helped Prisha lie back down on the bed opposite Violet’s while Louis dashed around grabbing anything that they might need. 

“Well, I’ll be back later,” Renata gave a friendly smile before disappearing from the room. Clementine was about to leave when she felt Prisha’s hand grab her wrist. When she looked over at Prisha, she saw that tears were threatening to escape her eyes. 

“Clem, I want to thank you. I’ve been so caught up in everything that I haven’t properly acknowledged you for saving me and Violet. Without you or Louis… “ Small tears began to slide down the samurai’s face. “We wouldn’t have made it.”

“No need to thank me, I’m just happy you two are safe.” Clementine put a comforting hand on Prisha’s shoulder. “Just get some rest, okay?”

Prisha nodded and Clementine made her way outside, leaving Violet and Prisha alone in the room. Prisha felt her shoulders relax; a weight had been lifted off them now that she was with Violet. It had been over a week since that day. Neither Violet nor Prisha had been able to see each other in that time. Now that Prisha could see Violet she was filled with relief but also unbearable sadness at the state Violet was in. 

Some time passed before Violet woke up; she mumbled a bit before wincing when the pain hit her anew. Prisha wondered if she should say anything. After a moment she made her choice. “Violet,” 

Violet tried to sit up at the sound of Prisha’s voice before keeling over in pain and sliding back down. “Prisha?” Violet’s hands reached around the empty air, not knowing if Prisha was far or near. Prisha sat up from her bed, hissing softly in from the pain that shot throughout her body as she walked over towards Violet’s bed. Collapsing and resting her back against the side of the bed, Prisha lifted up her hand. It soon found Violet’s which caused the ex-yakuza to stop her search. 

“I thought they said you couldn’t be moved,” Violet’s voice was quiet, her thumb started to rub Prisha’s hand before pausing when she realized there was a bandage on it. It took her only a second to resume. Prisha felt a wave of comfort wash over her at the gesture. 

“I guess my condition changed enough for them to reconsider. I’m so happy you’re safe, Violet,” Prisha felt her throat tighten at her own words. 

A short, shaky breath escaped Violet’s lips before she spoke. “I’m happy you’re safe too, Prisha, and that you’re here.” 

The two sat in silence. A mixture of pain and happiness swirled inside them as they took in this moment - the moment that they were finally able to see each other.


End file.
